Doctor Who: Radio Free Skaro

With the 2011 edition of Gallifrey One over half over, the Three Who Rule were still hard at work bringing you interviews with tremendously interesting people at the convention. Torchwood: Miracle Day is keenly discussed with writers Jane Espenson and Doris Egan, and the music of Doctor Who, specifically Murray Gold, was discussed with music scholars Emily Kausilik and Mikaela Schubert. Also joining us for the fun are our good friends Eric from Mostly Harmless Cutaway and Sean from Tardis Tavern. Enjoy, everyone! Only one more day to go… Check out the show notes at www.radiofreeskaro.com.

Day three of the annual Gallifrey One coverage continues with a kick-ass treat. The Nerdist himself, Chris Hardwick, stopped by for a chat with the Three Who Rule. The fun doesn't stop there though as we also talk to Kyle Anderson, lead Doctor Who blogger on The Nerdist website. Enjoy your burrito! Check out the show notes at www.radiofreeskaro.com.

Behold Radio Free Skaro’s first ever live show at Gallifrey: Radio Free Skaro in 3-D! Along with special guests Gareth Roberts, Clayton Hickman, Joss Agnew, James Moran, and (Friend of the Show) Phil Ford, the Three Who Rule fought off stage fright to delight and entertain a room full of their new best friends, and hopefully a good few of you who weren’t able to make it to Gallifrey. Thanks to all for a fab time! Check out the show notes at http://www.radiofreeskaro.com

Gallifrey One is in full swing and the first of the daily Radio Free Skaro was screaming out to be released. Of course, being the first episode for Gally it can mean only one thing – PODCEST! The topic of the day was the convention, naturally, and a Warrenless crew comprised of Chip from Two-minute Time Lord, Eric from Mostly Harmless Cutaway, Tim from Tim’s Take On, Erik from Bridging The Rift, Paul from Pharos Project and Katrina from Bridging The Rift joined Steven and Chris for a round table tête-a-tête-a-tête-a-tête-a-tête-a-tête-a-tête-a-tête and later on we sat down with Ken from Podshock for more Gally talk. Let the madness begin! Check out the show notes at www.radiofreeskaro.com.

The Three Who Rule have set aside the Richard Martin miniscope for now so the focus of this week's episode can be the upcoming Gallifrey One convention in Los Angeles. Gally mania ramps up to fever level as the lads talk panels, podcasts and poltroonery. News of the week rounds things out, even delving into the mostly foreign world of Big Finish! Regularly scheduled programming gets accelerated in a few days time as daily podcasts from Gallifrey One begin, so remember to check your feed more often!Check out the show notes at http://www.radiofreeskaro.com

As the countdown to Gallifrey One continues (less than two weeks away!), the Three Who Rule tumble in to the collected works of director Colin Teague in this week's instalment of the Miniscope. Despite Teague's opprobrious epithet, the Three were pleasantly surprised at his directorial skill which constantly shone over some of the written inspiration he had to work with. Also dealt with was the news of the week, featuring all three hosts blanking on the duties of a recently added Gallifrey One guest (it's prosthetics - duh). Check out the show notes at http://www.radiofreeskaro.com

A very busy week in the world of Doctor Who — including big DVD news and disappointing results at a certain fictitious awards show — is capped off in this latest installment of Radio Free Skaro by not only our look at director Keith Boak in the miniscope but also a visit with Simon & Thomas Guerrier. The Guerriers are responsible for some recent and upcoming bonus material on Classic Doctor Who DVD releases and we talk with the brothers about some of them, especially their award-nominated Race Against Time coming out very soon on the DVD of The Mutants. Join us, won’t you? Check out the show notes at www.radiofreeskaro.com.

Gally news, casting details, and not-LEGO Doctor Who figures....all of which prefigured the cogent analysis and detailed examination of the (Doctor Who) career of one Peter Grimwade, one of the few polymaths to both write and direct for Doctor Who. With highlights such as Earthshock and lowlights like Time-Flight, Grimwade's output was grist for the mill of the Three Who Rule. Check out the show notes at http://www.radiofreeskaro.com

DVDs and Series 6 news were the order of the day as the 2011 DVD release schedule was unveiled this past week in Doctor Who Magazine, and boy howdy are there some puzzling combinations of stories into box sets. The upcoming series of Doctor Who gets a bit of a different look with a newly-announced writer and a shuffling in the order of episodes, and there's even a bit of a natter about Doctor Who Magazine's list of who to follow on Twitter (hint: we're on that list, nudge nudge). A look at controversial writer/script editor Eric Saward rounds out the show with some great discussion of his influence and reach, along with the selection of next week's miniscope subject... and just who will that be? Check out the show notes at http://www.radiofreeskaro.com

Setting the wayback machine all the way… um, back… to Radio Free Skaro #230 you’ll remember the lads had the Randomizer throw them a curve ball in the shape of Dick Mills as a miniscope subject. As those familiar with the sound design of Doctor Who are aware, Mills is the most-credited person on the show thanks to his long tenure with the Radiophonic Workshop. Where to begin? What to discuss? The only answer was to bring in a ringer in the form of Radiophonic Workshop archivist and Doctor Who composer in his own right, Mark Ayres. Settle in with your Doctor Who sound effects LP, a nice hot beverage, and join not one but two special guests in this episode of Radio Free Skaro as we also have Chip from the Two-minute Time Lord sit in Warren’s seat for some tantalizing nerdery. Check out the show notes at www.radiofreeskaro.com.

The first Radio Free Skaro episode of 2011 features the return of the popular Miniscope segments (well, some of you liked them in the past, anyhow) wherein the Three Who Rule discuss the works of a particular writer, director, or some other behind the scenes person in their careers on Doctor Who. Dick Mills, the initial subject for this episode, was bumped to next week (about more later), so Series 3 director Charles Palmer became a last minute subject. How did his efforts rate with your intrepid hosts? Listen on! Check out the show notes at www.radiofreeskaro.com.

2010 was a great year for Doctor Who, and it was capped off by what all three hosts of Radio Free Skaro (and many, many others on the internet) consider to be the finest Doctor Who Christmas Special to date. A Christmas Carol had it all - strong story, superb writing, great performances, and was never in danger of jumping the very rickshaw pulling shark that featured several times in the episode. The Three Who Rule discuss all of this and more with great gusto, and give a few hints of their podcast plans for the year to come... Check out the show notes at http://www.radiofreeskaro.com

The stream of commentaries that the Three Who Rule have been unleashing upon the world for the past several months finally concludes with their real-time review of the Series 5 finale The Big Bang. And what an episode to go out on, all three were as admiring of the story as they were when it first went out in June and nothing has changed in the mean time. Also of note, this is Warren's last episode from China, a nation whose internet connection is almost as dodgy as its human rights record. Next week: new Doctor Who in the form of A Christmas Carol. And we can't wait, either. Check out the show notes at http://www.radiofreeskaro.com

The Pandorica Opens was the focus of most of this episode of Radio Free Skaro, thanks to a light news week. Good thing, too, as Pandorica was another triumph from Series 5, featuring many power mad conspirators - Daleks, Sontarans, Cybermen - gathering together to fight their greatest enemy, The Doctor. Such a visual feast put the Three Who Rule in danger of becoming transfixed on what they were watching, but they managed to mostly steer clear of the silence for the time being. Ah, yes. The Silence. More on that next week... Check out the show notes at http://www.radiofreeskaro.com

For the first time in many months, the Three Who Rule were delighted to welcome Tachyon TV's Neil Perryman back into the fold to not only discuss the week that was in Doctor Who, but to be present for Neil's first commentary since watching The Stolen Earth 27 times in one weekend to prepare the last ever Tachyon TV commentary podcast. The episode in question is Gareth Roberts' The Lodger, episode 11 of Series 5. As usual with Neil, the boundaries of decency for Radio Free Skaro were pushed ever further, as was the level of integrity and humour. A good time was had by all! CHeck out the show notes at http://www.radiofreeskaro.com

The time has finally come for The Three Who Rule to sink their teeth into Vincent and the Doctor as the Series 5 commentary series continues. Vincent has been a polarizing episode both amongst the Radio Free Skaro gang as well as much of fandom in general with opinions firmly seated on both sides of the fence. Will opinions change with another viewing and an open debate? Will assertions of greatness or dreadfulness fall on deaf ears? The news of the week rounds out this episode along with a teaser of what’s to come next week… Check out the show notes at www.radiofreeskaro.com.

It was a banner week for Doctor Who leading up the programme's 47th anniversary celebrations on November 23, with massive news on both sides of the Atlantic in the forms of a new trailer for A Christmas Carol, a same-day broadcast date in the US, and Matt Smith's landmark appearance on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. All of these events and more were discussed at great length by the Three Who Rule, amongst other notable topics (including Ian Levine's Shada), capped off by a rollicking commentary on the Series 5 episode "Cold Blood". Enjoy, and Happy Birthday, Doctor Who! Check out the show notes at www.radiofreeskaro.com.

The Series 5 commentary series resumes again after an intermittent past few weeks (but you surely didn’t mind all the interviews, did you?) with the Three Who Rule’s take on The Hungry Earth, the first part of the retro-themed Silurian story from this past year. Also, news of Christmas episode titles and another impressive Sarah Jane Adventures story help pass the time before the Children in Need preview later this week and Doctor Who’s impending 47th anniversary. Good fun! Check out the show notes at www.radiofreeskaro.com.

The Three Who Rule were thrilled beyond measure to interview Murray Gold, the esteemed composer of all of the music in the new series, along with the themes to Torchwood and the Sarah Jane Adventures. In a wide ranging discussion, Gold held forth on all manner of musical matters and charmed the crew with his wit, verve, and bohemian charm. Oh yes, and some news and the latest Sarah Jane Adventures were discussed. Gold! Listen! Now! Check out the show notes at www.radiofreeskaro.com.

The Series 5 Commentary series rears its head once again as the Three Who Rule tackle fan favourite Amy's Choice with much glee and delectation. More fan enjoyment came this past week in the form of Death of the Doctor, featuring Matt Smith's return as the Doctor in the latest installment of The Sarah Jane Adventures. Fans awaiting the Christmas special got not one but two pieces of good news this week as it was announced that the BFI will be holding an advance screening for the episode while the rest of us have to suffer with a Children In Need clip next month. Join the fandom fun with the whole gang in this episode of Radio Free Skaro before it's gone gone gone! Check out the show notes at www.radiofreeskaro.com.

A special treat this week: an interview with Dan Hall, Commissioning Editor of the Doctor Who DVD range at 2 Entertain. Dan expounds on many a hot topic in the world of Doctor Who shiny discs, including animated reconstructions, the Revisitations box sets, and much, much more, including a look ahead to what will be a very busy 2011 for Doctor Who DVD fans on both sides of the Atlantic. Also, the Three Who Rule give their thoughts on the most recent Sarah Jane Adventures outing, “The Vault of Secrets”, as well as deal with a few other sundry matters. Enjoy! Check out the show notes at www.radiofreeskaro.com.

The internet exploded in Doctor Who land this past week with fans beside themselves about Regenergate and Gallifrey One hotel rooms, which caused the Three Who Rule to take time out of this episode to allay those fears. Long stories short: Don't Panic. Everything's fine. After those fires were ably extinguished, it was on to the commentary for The Vampires of Venice, a mid-series tome that inspired overwhelming indifference from two members of the Radio Free Skaro team. Did that opinion change...? Check out the show notes at www.radiofreeskaro.com.

The Series 5 commentary series resumes this week with a look at the latter half of the stellar return of the Weeping Angels, “Flesh and Stone”. Instead of stunned silence, though, which one might expect to occur when watching something as entrancing as this, the Three Who Rule instead descended into heated arguments about Battlestar Galactica and the debatable merits of rock operas. One thing that they could all agree on, though, is that The Time of Angels and Flesh and Stone are fine examples of some of the best television ever made. Check out the show notes at http://www.radiofreeskaro.com.

The Series 5 Commentary Series gets a bit of a rest as we focus on the news of the week and feature another extended interview with friend of the show, Phil Ford. Phil, along with Russell T Davies, recently won the Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form Hugo Award for The Waters of Mars, the first such honour for Doctor Who not bestowed upon Steven Moffat, and our own Steven sat down with him to discuss the Hugo, the upcoming Series 4 of The Sarah Jane Adventures for which he serves as head writer, and a lot more. Sit back, relax, and enjoy some time with Phil and his effervescence on this installment of Radio Free Skaro! Check out the show notes at www.radiofreeskaro.com.

A sneak peak at our interview with Phil Ford, head writer of The Sarah Jane Adventures, coming soon in Radio Free Skaro #218.

After taking the better part of September off to either move to, visit, or stay away from other continents, the Three Who Rule reconvened for their first regularly recorded episode of Radio Free Skaro since the hazy days of summer. And, lo! What a news list to come back to! Some old, most older, but all entirely relevant, otherwise it would have never been mentioned in the first place. And to top it off, there's a commentary on perhaps the best New Series episode made to date, "The Time of Angels". If you're going to listen to one episode of Radio Free Skaro, make it this one! (And all the others, too.)

In a not-so-unprecedented move, Steven and Chris welcome back the Two-minute Time Lord himself, Chip, to take a look at what is thought by many to be the weak point of Series 5 — Victory of the Daleks. The Series 5 commentary series examines where the episode went right and where it went wrong, and of course there can never be enough discussion about the Power Rangers-esque Daleks. Will opinions change for the better? Will they change for the worse? Will Churchill ever put out that blasted cigar when in the bunker? Only some of those questions will be answered in this week’s Radio Free Skaro! Check out the show notes at www.radiofreeskaro.com.

A Warren-less look at The Beast Below is the focal point of this week's Radio Free Skaro tomfoolery. The remaining Two Who Rule are joined by Chip from the Two-minute Time Lord podcast, as the Series 5 commentary series keeps on truckin'. Grab a glass of non-vibrating water and join the podcest fun as the lads talk all over Star Whales, future monarchs, voting machines and the Smilers and Winders!

The Classic Series Commentary series has ended... only to be replaced by the Series 5 Commentary series. (Any more attempts to use the word "series" will likely cause another crack in time, so we'd best stop there.) We've given the news segment a bit of time off... something that breaks our fictitious award-loving hearts, but on the upside it means no stats! So sit back, relax and have a listen to The Three Who Rule talk about the glorious opener to Matt Smith's tenure! Check out the show notes at http://www.radiofreeskaro.com

So it’s come to this… the final installment of the summer Classic Series Commentary series has arrived, and oh what an arrival it was. Delta and the Bannermen gets put through one end of the RFS grinder and goodness only knows what will come out the other end. Warren’s notorious hatred of Sylvester McCoy’s tenure underlies the episode, but what did he think of the story when all was said and done? Add to that the collective pants-wetting over the upcoming release of The Seeds of Doom on DVD and pretty much the entire gamut of human emotion comes through in this episode of Radio Free Skaro! Check out the show notes at www.radiofreeskaro.com.

In this, the penultimate Radio Free Skaro Classic Series Commentary for the summer, the Three Who Rule lucked out with the second segment of the four-part trilogy known as The Trial of the Time Lord. Lucked out, you may well ask? Well, yes, for all three hosts were fairly unanimous in their praise of Mindwarp, and the Trial season as a whole, firm in their belief that Colin Baker’s tenure as The Doctor has been unfairly maligned over the years. Disagree? Listen to the commentary to see if you will be swayed… Check out the show notes at www.radiofreeskaro.com

The Three Who Rule celebrated the fourth anniversary of Radio Free Skaro by enduring one of the slowest news weeks in recent memory as next to nothing happened in the last seven days in the world of Doctor Who. Fortunately (?), the gang had the latter half of The Keys of Marinus to help them through it all. And if that wasn’t enough to sate them, well, there’s always finding out what story they’ll be commenting on next week. Go, Randomizer! Check out the show notes at www.radiofreeskaro.com.

Warren returns to the fold this week, having thought he had escaped the worst that Doctor Who could offer by missing the commentary for Time-Flight last week. Instead, Hartnell-phobe Warren was given both barrels of black and white mediocrity in the form of The Keys of Marinus, one of the lesser lights of the debut season of Doctor Who from 1964. Actually, the Three Who Rule managed to keep themselves reasonably entertained throughout the first three episodes of Terry Nation’s best non-Dalek script that he ever wrote for Doctor Who…until the thought of having to watch three more episodes next week brought everyone back down to Earth. Check out the show notes at www.radiofreeskaro.com.

Warren ran for cover when he learned Time-Flight was the next up to bat in the Classic Series Commentaries series, so Paul from The Pharos Project podcast was strongarmed into filling his shoes. The crew did their level best to not talk about the story at hand thanks to its less than stellar production values and execution, but from time to time nevertheless felt compelled to address what was on their screens. In a cruel twist of fate, the Randomizer decided next week's commentary was going to be for another story that one of the crew, as with Time-Flight, greatly dislikes... Check out the show notes at http://www.radiofreeskaro.com

A rare busy news week disrupts the Three Who Rule and their summer slacking off. Series 6 ramblings, fictitious awards, DVD news and talk of the SPACE premiere of The Big Bang at least help to kill some of the time until the Christmas special. The guys soldier on with the Classic Series Commentaries by looking at the first full story recorded with Peter Davison, Four to Doomsday. Which actor will Steven fall in love with this week?, Just how saucy will the lads be in this installment? And what will the randomizer force upon them next week? There's only one way to know - have a listen!

The Radio Free Skaro Classic Series Commentaries kept trucking along this week with a look at another Tom Baker story. The Robots of Death, a wonderful murder mystery, goes under examination in the form of the Three Who Rule jib-jabbering their way through four episodes of Chris Boucher goodness. Oh, and there's some like casting news... or something... about the 2010 Doctor Who Christmas Special. And Torchwood news. And DVD news. But that's all peanuts compared to robots! ROBOTS!

With the news light in the wake of Series 5 ending, the Three Who Rule were glad of a commentary to tide them over. Image of the Fendahl was the focal point thanks to the powers of the randomizer, a story that stands out for one of our hosts while merely exists for the other two. Come join the fun of the west country accents, slash writers going crazy, lost plots, a golden Wanda Ventham and just about the darkest Doctor Who story ever! And what could possibly be in store for the next installment of the summer commentary series? Check out the show notes at www.radiofreeskaro.com.

With Series Five done and packed away, and with everyone staring down the barrel of a six month wait for new Who, the Three Who Rule decided to embark upon a summer of commentary episodes on classic, randomly selected stories from Doctor Who's past. Commentarygeddon began with Meglos, the (unfairly) maligned Tom Baker cactusfest. Dodecahedrons, vocoders and Jacqueline Hill, not to mention a young (and fake) Annie Lennox await! Check out the show notes at www.radiofreeskaro.com.

Something almost completely impossible happened this week in that not only did the Series 5 finale, The Big Bang, provide a fantastic and satisfying end to one of the best series of Doctor Who in recent memory, but the Three Who Rule actually agreed on how much they enjoyed a series finale. From Steven Moffat's mastery of what could have been a convoluted story to Matt Smith's best performance as The Doctor (again, for the 13th straight week), The Big Bang had it all, and it only makes the six-month wait until the 2010 Christmas special seem that much longer. And what will Radio Free Skaro do to pass the time until then? Listen and find out...Check out the show notes at http://www.radiofreeskaro.com​

Well, what about that, then? The Pandorica Opens exploded onto TV and computer screens the world over in dazzling and impressive fashion, seemingly including visual references to every monster in the entire history of Doctor Who, presenting us a trio of equally impossible cliffhangers, and throwing in at least three kitchen sinks into the bargain. And yet, it still made for staggeringly compelling viewing, and only whets our appetite for The Big Bang, the final episode of Matt Smith's and Steven Moffat's sterling first series of Doctor Who. The only question now...how can The Big Bang possibly top this?

The news of a fourth series of Torchwood becoming a reality dropped like a bomb in the Doctor Who fandom world, as many had written off the idea once FOX stepped away from the table. With Warren unavailable, Steven and Chris are joined by Chip from the Two-minute Time Lord podcast to talk about Torchwood, cover the latest episode of Doctor Who (Gareth Roberts' "The Lodger"), as well as the news of the week. Will this be another Planet of the Dead, or will Gareth Roberts redeem himself in the eyes of the RFS gang, particularly the relentlessly unforgiving Chris? What does our esteemed guest think of the latest Who?Check out the show notes at www.radiofreeskaro.com.

An unconventional artist anchored an unusual episode as "Vincent and the Doctor", written by Richard Curtis, graced our screens this week. Reaction on the internet made it seem like everyone either loved or hated the episode, but the Three Who Rule were...well, you'll just have to listen to the episode to find out. However, Vincent and the Doctor was but one episode released this week thanks to City of the Daleks hitting computer screens... Check out the show notes at http://www.radiofreeskaro.com​

With Warren in the Galapagos Islands unleashing his fiendish experiments to make the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles a reality, Radio Free Skaro celebrates its 200th episode, keeping things low key and just having a couple old friends over for drinks. Neil Perryman and Simon Harries from Tachyon TV join in the fun with a look at not only the current episode of Doctor Who, Cold Blood, but the gang also gabs about Series 5 as it stands thus far. A bonus treat of some kind words provided by some of our listeners rounds out this milestone episode. Onward to the next 200!Check out the show notes at www.radiofreeskaro.com.

It shaped up to be a good week for the Three Who Rule on account of the return of some of their favourite classic series monsters, the Silurians (aka Eocenes, aka Homo Reptilia). "The Hungry Earth", the episode in which they made their first successful appearance in 40 years (see what we did there?), also had a distinctly classic feel to it, making one almost feel like we were watching Jon Pertwee's Doctor and UNIT battling with cave monsters in the 1970s (aka the 1980s). Onwards! Check out the show notes at http://www.radiofreeskaro.com

Given the mixed reactions that The Three Who Rule have had about past attempts of surrealism in Doctor Who, one wouldn't expect the latest noodle-scratcher to be an episode for them to agree on. But that's just what "Amy's Choice" was, a daring and bold step into a world of dreams featuring pregnant Amys, awkward Doctors, and rampant elder abuse. Really, what's not to love? And there wasn't even one hint of The Valeyard making a return appearance. Or was there....?Check out the show notes at www.radiofreeskaro.com.

Vampires! Venice! Fish people! Disagreement! While two of the Three Who Rule were less than blown away by this latest historical romp, with little else to discuss during this slow news week it was that or stats. Which were also discussed. Harrumph. Check out the show notes at http://www.radiofreeskaro.com

The Two Who Rule (Chris was consumed by a Weeping Angel and sent back in time to 1973) were effusive in their praise of one of the best episodes not only of this season but of Doctor Who's storied history, lauding both Matt Smith for his great performance and Steven Moffat for one of the scariest episodes in recent memory. Without Chris, the Two Who Rule were unable to effectively slag RTD (though they tried) or dismiss David Tennant's contributions to the program (perish the thought!) though they did their best to not slip into a coma while discussing ratings. Allons-onimo! Check out the show notes at www.radiofreeskaro.com.

A rare occasion for Radio Free Skaro this week in that all three hosts were almost unanimous in their praise of The Time of Angels, one of the true high points in recent Doctor Who history that not even a slightly reduced duration or an animated Graham Norton could spoil. On top of this, the usual cadre of ratings discussions, all of which is also universally positive on both sides of the Atlantic, as well as general blathering about the week that was in Who. Oh, and did everyone remember to watch Over The Rainbow after Doctor Who?

The Daleks are back! And that's.....well, middling. The Three Who Rule chewed over "Victory of the Daleks," including the new, sleek models that have all of fandom agog with either love or hate, the WW2 models that instantly warmed our coal-black hearts, and the jowly presence of one Winston Churchill, saviour of Britain. Still, it's thankfully no "Daleks in Manhattan". Geronim-ate! Check out the show notes at http://www.radiofreeskaro.com

Another strong week for new Who as "The Beast Below" solidified the love of the Three Who Rule for Matt Smith, otherwise known as "the new kid we think will work out just fine." Add a potent mix of thrilling stats, fictitious awards, and rare praise for Torchwood, and you've got a podcast, by gar!